Clear Shining After Rain - Chapter II
A/N: I think I'll just go shoot myself. You won't blame me, I'm sure. I have at least three series fics going on.
A Living Rose
Last of the Line
Love In the Light
Clear Shining After Rain
They're just the ones I've started posting/writing. I haven't been able to start the next part for Living/Love because I've been tied up writing:
Riffen Reguba - One lone squirrel stands against the mighty Morgarians. He can't survive, even if he is a Reguba, with three friends behind him. Or can he?
Hotspur - Once the tribe of squirrel warriors known as Drey Hotspur were the greatest fighters in the whole of Southsward. Now they are no more, for Drithure the Death, a blood-drinking pine marten, has had them all murdered by his Joykillers. Wait - did I say all?
Survivor - Alternate Reality. Martin was killed in the duel with Badrang, but Rose survived. What will she do now?
These Are The Days of Ungatt Trunn - A Lord Brocktree fic - or rather, fics. Several different creatures from the book have a separate tale to tell. Many are of cruelty inflicted by the Earth Shaker, but one stands alone…that of Ungatt Trunn himself.
Not counting, of course, those that I'm planning…but I won't go into that right now.
This must be my weirdest author's note in creation - or carnation, as the Rabblehogs would say. Oh, well - spoilers for the Bellmaker!
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Springrain lifted Queen Amethyst down from the rope. Even though the squirrelqueen wasn't old, she was bound in chains. Dido, however, was not, and Springrain made the most of the advantage. She whispered something to Maisie Springback, who gave her agreement soberly.
"Queen Amethyst, quickly, so that we can take the chains away. Spring'll follow with your babe, don't worry."
Springrain nodded. "No worries, friend. Why, we'll probably be back before you are!"
Maisie nodded encouragingly. "Come on, Amethyst. Spring's right, they'll be back before us if we don't get a move on."
"Why shouldn't they?" asked Amethyst, hobbling along. Maisie was suddenly very interested in a daisy that had pinkish petals.
*
Springrain wasted no time. She raced along to the camp and deposited the squirrelbabe in the arms of Skipper. She knew trouble was coming.
She carried nothing but a short dirk, which had often seen her out of trouble. Springrain merely ran out on to the windowsill of Limmissa Duranad's old room and she was surrounded.
"Put up that dagger."
"What dagger?" Springrain looked puzzled, although inwardly she was seething. Didn't he know his weaponry?
"The dagger you're holding."
"Sorry, I hold no dagger."
"Your weapon then, stoopid!"
"Stupid? Who you callin' stupid? I could give you spades and aces and still beat you hands down in the intelligence department."
"Quiet, you stoopid otter!"
"I told you, I'm not stupid. I may be an otter, but I'm not stupid." Springrain knew that the banter was keeping her alive, so she kept playing.
"Uh-uh. In no circumstances are you taking my pretty little dirk."
"Dirk? Whaddya mean? Nah, don't be so thick."
"Thick. It's not a word I'm acquainted with, I'm afraid."
Springrain played as well as any hare. Speaking light words, she kept light physically as well. It was a game of tag, and anyone could lose…their life.
She decided that she'd just have to make a break for it. She wrong-footed the rat, and dashed down the passageway…straight into Queen Ariana.
"Er - I'm s-sorry, your Majesty?" stammered Springrain, hoping desperately that she would be mistaken for vermin of some kind.
No chance.
"Stop! Impostor! Stop that otter!" shrieked Ariana, rushing as fast as she could in the opposite direction. "Stop the otter!"
Springrain dashed off down a passage to the right. She was well acquainted with the castle, and she remembered vaguely that there was a brilliant hiding place around there.
She remembered correctly. Springrain glanced sideways, and saw a troupe of stoats coming from the left. She looked the other way and recognised a collection of weasels. As her wide eyes took in the urgency of the situation, she heard footsteps behind her. Without looking back, Springrain threw herself into the tiny room in front and stared desperately around for the hidden cloister.
There was a loud banging noise and the door burst open. She dived behind the old couch, dust rising up and almost choking her.
"Where's she gone?"
"Vanished! Mebbe she's magic!"
"My ole ma said that otters were magic an' all, s'well as badgers!"
"Nah, that's only in water. Only otters can disappear in water!"
"Yore ole ma musta been dicked in the nob. She's gotta be hidin' someplace, that's all!"
"But where?"
That was the question that was puzzling them all. Suddenly Springrain couldn't hold her breath any longer.
"Atchoo!"
Immediately, the vermin were milling about the room, searching every nook and cranny. But Springrain was long gone. When she had sneezed, she had hit her head against a knob and found herself in a secret passage, which closed up again an instant later. The ottermaid crawled down through the cobwebbed tunnel until she felt her paws getting wet.
"What the - "
Then she understood. Water would come up the tunnel at high tide, and go down again. It was an otter escape route from the castle in times of trouble, for at high tide, none but an otter or a fish would be able to swim underwater all that way. And just Springrain's luck - the tide was turning as she crouched there. As the water came rushing up to her, filling the passage, she took a deep breath and dived under. Into the icy, aquamarine depths of the river.